Lower impact travel
After flying in to Boston’s Logan Airport and lining up for the taxi queue, I was surprised to see a sign saying that I could request a hybrid vehicle. And in fact, I saw a hybrid in the queue about to leave with someone. So when I got to the front of the line, I decided to find out low much longer I would have to wait if I requested a hybrid. No hybrids were waiting, so I stood to the side after making my request. After a few minutes, the staff started kicking cabs out of the line, saying they were making room for a hybrid. After less than a five minute total wait, a hybrid 2007 Toyota Camry pulled up, jumped to the front of the queue, and were were on our way. I speculated with the driver how long it would be before most cabs were more efficient, and the hybrid privileges would no longer be offered.
Another thing that lowered the impact of this trip was that for one segment of a multi-city itinerary, I rode on Amtrak. Five hours from Boston to Philadelphia, during almost all of which I was getting work done, plugged into a 120 volt outlet, fielding phone calls, and not being told when I couldn’t stand up or lean my seat back. This was much cheaper for my client than a plane ride, and because the only last-minute options I had for air travel took me far out of the way on a connection, the direct train trip was also the fastest option. Unlike flying over all the intermediate states by air, I felt somewhat more like I was actually visiting the intermediate states, however briefly. Not having checked the details of the route, I was surprised when we made a stop at Penn Station, right underneath midtown Manhattan. I suppressed the urge to run upstairs to the street and buy a hot dog.
One more small thing I’ve started doing is taking the mostly new bars of soap I use at the hotel with me in a plastic bag when I leave. It’s amazing how long they last, and how many new bars I would have otherwise opened and left to be thrown out. Of course, I also hang up my towel and don’t request that the sheets be changed every day if I have that option, though I usually find the towels dry and neatly folded in the evening, so I have to wonder if the housekeeping staff isn’t replacing the towels anyway.
Did you catch the flaw in my hybrid story? I neglected to check whether the hotel had a shuttle service. If the shuttle would be making the trip anyway, my presence on it would have little impact, even if it had a high-emission engine. No matter what we do, there is always someone who is greener-than-thou and willing to sacrifice more convenience for the greater good.